The Nexairi Dispatch · Wednesday, June 17, 2026 · Issue #28
69% plan new billing models. Fewer than 5% have one.
AI cut the research time. The billing model didn't follow. Here's what 1,000 tax pros said.
Good morning, friends. The federal government told Anthropic this week that it needs permission before foreign nationals can use its most powerful AI models. At the same time, 69% of tax professionals say AI is already saving them hours on research — but fewer than 5% have figured out what to charge for that faster work. Big companies are sitting on $18 trillion in AI value they cannot actually use because their own systems are too old to run it. Who controls AI, who prices it and who answers when it goes wrong is the story in finance right now.
💰 ACCOUNTING AI — 69% Plan New Billing Models. Almost None Have Built One.
What happened: A survey of 1,000 U.S. tax professionals found AI use in tax research jumped from 33% to 60% in one year. Most say the time savings are real. But 69% plan to change how they bill clients, and almost none have built a new billing model yet.
Why it matters: When AI cuts research time in half, hourly billing breaks. You are either charging too little for hours the AI saved or losing money on hours that never happened. The same survey found a second problem: most finance teams cannot explain their AI decisions to an auditor. That is a serious risk as regulators start asking harder questions.
What to watch: Clients will start asking what AI means for their bill. If you do not have an answer ready, get one before they ask.
Outside Nexairi
The US Government Told Anthropic Who Can Use Its Best AI Models — Bloomberg
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick sent Anthropic a letter saying foreign nationals need federal permission before they can access its most capable AI. Anthropic shut down Mythos the same day. US allies are not happy.
The World's Biggest Companies Have $18 Trillion in AI They Cannot Use — CFO Dive
A study of the 2,000 largest public companies found $18 trillion in AI value that firms cannot unlock. The problem is not bad AI strategy. It is old technology and outdated processes that were never built to handle AI at scale.
Hackers Are Breaking Into Accounting Firms Without Sending a Single Email — CPA Practice Advisor
Cybercriminals found a way to bypass multi-factor authentication using Microsoft 365's own features. No phishing needed. Accounting firm accounts are a specific target because of the client financial data inside.
A Major Bank Just Gave ChatGPT Enterprise to Every Single Employee — OpenAI
Spanish bank BBVA rolled out ChatGPT Enterprise to all 100,000 of its employees. That makes it one of the largest AI rollouts in banking history. Compliance controls were built in from day one.
Crowe LLP Is the Latest Big Accounting Firm to Take Private Equity Money — Journal of Accountancy
Crowe LLP, one of the 15 largest U.S. accounting firms, announced a major investment from KKR. The deal closes in Q3 2026. Crowe joins a long list of large firms that have now taken PE money.
Tool Worth Knowing: Cetrom SENTINEL (cetrom.net)
Cetrom SENTINEL catches sensitive client data before it leaves your firm through an AI prompt. It strips the data out before anything gets sent to an outside AI platform. Built for CPA firms. Currently in beta.
Deeper Read
Savant Labs Extends Claude and Copilot Into Governed Finance Workflows — CPA Practice Advisor
Savant Labs added controls to bring AI into regulated government accounting work. Worth reading if your firm is trying to figure out what governed AI actually looks like in practice.
PCAOB Seeks Comment on Proposed Quality Control Amendments — Journal of Accountancy
The PCAOB is updating audit quality control rules. Relevant for any firm thinking about how AI-assisted audit work will need to be documented going forward.
Quick Hits
- Gusto rolls out AI agents for accountants
- SpaceX ties CFO comp to EBITDA targets post-IPO
- OpenAI launches $150M Partner Network
- SpaceX cements $60B Cursor acquisition
- Apptio boosts real-time cloud cost tracking
- Kantata launches AI superagent for professional services
- Adaptive launches project accounting agents for construction
- OpenAI acquires Ona to expand Codex for enterprises
- AICPA comments on accounting method change procedures
- IRS reassigned 1,173 staff after mass layoffs